


Decisions

by orphan_account



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: F/M, Lotura - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-09
Updated: 2018-12-09
Packaged: 2019-09-14 20:35:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16919946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Lotor's in the brig in the Castle of Lions, but Allura can't contain her curiosity.





	Decisions

 

 

“How is he?” Allura asked.

“Same old, same old,” Pidge replied, nodding at one of her monitors with a view of Lotor’s cell. She looked up. “Princess?”

“Hm?”

“You do… observe him a lot more compared the others,” Pidge said worriedly. “I don’t think we can trust him.”

“Nor I,” Allura replied. “But he is Galra royalty, and he does have access to knowledge of the last ten thousand years.”

“Even if we were to put him in a comatose state and tap his mind, I _still_ don’t think we can trust what we see.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t go over my head,” Allura said, giving a small smile of reassurance.

As she left, Pidge looked at her, unconvinced.

~0~0~

Allura peeked cautiously around the corner of the Castle brig.

Lotor looked up, and narrowed his eyes when he saw her.

Caught, Allura strode forward.

“And to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?” asked Lotor dryly.

“I wanted to see if our accommodations were to your liking,” Allura replied, gulping.

Lotor flat-faced. “Oh, it’s the best square metre of space I’ve ever been in.” He cocked his head. “Is that the _real_ reason you’re here?”

Allura glanced down, unsure of how much she could reveal without being manipulated.

Lotor stood up and took slow steps towards her. Instinctively, she took a few steps back.

“Come, now, Princess,” he cooed. “No need to be afraid with this barrier between us.”

Collecting herself, she walked forward, their faces only inches apart, trying to suppress the nagging feeling that she was a deer being stalked by an able predator.

“You are wondering about the extent we come from the same source.”

“I- I suppose so,” she said. “Your knowledge must be extraordinary.”

“Oh, it _is_ ,” he replied in a honeyed voice. “But I only share it with people that I trust.”

She looked into his Altean irises, so familiar yet different. “Yes, I would like to believe that one day we can work together.”

“Then dissolve the barrier,” Lotor said theatrically. “Give me a sign of trust and I will give you all the knowledge you need on the condition that there be an alliance between us.”

She remained gazing at him, concerned.

“I do believe you’re blushing, Allura,” he said with a smirk.

“Don’t be ridiculous!” she retorted, running a hand over her cheek which, to her dismay, _did_ feel warmer than usual.

“I have been behind here for days,” he replied. “Surely you don’t think that I have the strength to fight full force.”

“I suppose that is true,” she said, resigned. After a moment’s hesitation, she pressed the button to release the barrier.

Immediately, Lotor dashed forward and whirled her around, keeping her in a tight headlock. “Get back,” he growled.

Allura saw Pidge standing at the door, pointing her bayard at him. Concerned, Pidge stepped back a token few steps to placate him.

Lotor dashed for a nearby door, keeping the Princess positioned between himself and the green paladin.

As soon as they were out of sight, the room became filled with red lighting and the piercing sound of alarms.

Allura watched helplessly as Lotor expertly navigated the halls, finally coming to the hangar containing his fighter.

He released her. “Well, Princess, this may not have been how you envisioned, but I hope that we meet in the future and discuss the possibilities of working together,” he said, running a thumb over her cheek. Then he turned and dashed towards his ship.

“Lotor.”

He stopped, looking back.

“I do wonder if you even are aware of what you _actually_ feel inside, given the amount that you _twist_ yourself to tell people what they want to hear,” she said strongly.

His eyes opened wide, then he scowled. Striding towards her, he backed her against the wall, hands either side of her head, trapping her.

“A weak, pathetic race such as yourself could _never_ survive in Galra society,” he spat, eyes full of murderous hatred. “The _only_ way I’ve survived in these past ten thousand years is by being cleverer than the strongest, and exercising _immediate_ disposal of those who are not of use to me. Believe me, the reason you stand before me today is because you were put in stasis. Had you not been, you would have been killed almost instantly and your values of which you so _adamantly_ preach would have died alongside you.”

She stood there, shaking. Oh, God. He was a monster, twisted beyond all recognition by the need to survive. She could tell his life was full of treachery and betrayal – of which he’d surely been a victim as well. And the cold truth is that he could kill her at any time he chose. Could he learn to trust? To see the value of pacifistic ways? Or could he only see pain and suffering?

Keith and the others dashed in. “Princess!” he shouted, alarmed, and raised his laser gun.

“No!” she shouted, ducking under his arms and leaping in front of Lotor, absorbing the blast.

Lotor remained still as stone, watching her form crumple at his feet. After a moment, the blast area swelled up and exploded, causing Altean blood to gush forth.

“Quick! Get her to a cryopod!” shouted Coran.

The others rushed in to carry her, one applying pressure to the wound.

“Don’t move,” Pidge said fiercely, aiming her weapon at Lotor.

Lotor glanced at her, sizing her up, not looking worried. But he allowed her to lead him back to his cell.

~0~0~

Lotor looked up as someone entered the brig. To his surprise, he saw it was Allura. She looked like she could barely stand.

“I… wanted to see… that it wasn’t just a dream,” she said, heaving between breaths.

“Allura, you shouldn’t be out here,” he admonished.

Her mouth curled in distaste. Then she spluttered, leaning against the wall, clutching her stomach.

“You are not fatally ill anymore, but your injuries are still severe and you must get rest else you may endanger your life again.”

“You sound like Coran,” she managed to speak.

“Let me out,” he said gently. “Let me help you.”

“Not likely!” she retorted, then collapsed again, clutching her stomach.

“If you are worried that I’ll kill you, perhaps you don’t have anything to lose,” he said seriously. “Does anyone know you’re here? How long do you think you’ll have before you get seriously ill if you faint?”

Collecting herself, she staggered towards the cell door and pressed the button, knowing instinctively that she didn’t have an option.

He dashed forward. She yelped as a reflex, but then relaxed as she felt him lift her, carrying her in his arms.

“If it will make you the slightest bit happier, go ahead and kill me,” she said sincerely, knowing he had the upper hand.

His mouth fell open, and he frowned in disbelief.

“You always did know how to make me blush, you bastard,” she said softly.

Lotor looked surprised, knowing her weak state had eroded her filter. “Indeed. Now, why are you endangering your life like this? You’re in no state to be awake, let alone walking by yourself around the Castle.”

Lotor looked shocked as she slapped his cheek hard, followed by a few more times.

“You’re not Coran,” she said, surprised.

Initially startled, he chuckled. Peering around corners, he made tactical decisions about the location of the medic bay.

“You’re not going the right way,” she said.

“Then why don’t you show me?” he said gently.

“You follow… your heart…” she murmured, then rested her head against his chest, falling asleep.

~0~0~

“Hi.”

Pidge leapt out of her seat, seeing Lotor with an unconscious Allura in his arms.

“She came to me. I’m returning her,” came the flat explanation.

“Why don’t we let Lotor just roam free around the castle?” muttered Lance. “At least that way I won’t be _surprised_ to see him.”

“Enough jokes,” said Coran. “Let’s get her help _now_.”

~0~0~

Allura’s eyes fluttered open. She sat up in her bed, shocked.

Seeing Coran sitting at the end of her bed, she said “Coran… I… oh no… where…”

“Lotor is back in his cell, and he did help you,” Coran replied, interrupting her. “Although the extent of that trickster’s schemes is certainly unfathomable-”

“I must see him at once!” she said, leaping out of bed.

“Just a second, young lady!” Coran said firmly. “You’re in no condition to-”

Allura sprinted past him.

“Oh, quiznak!” Coran muttered as he ran after her.

~0~0~

The team gasped, seeing Allura lead Lotor into the bridge. Coran came running after them, out of breath.

“I want you to know that I’ve released him, to show him our trust,” she said. “And, also, I want you all to know that he’s the man I love.”

Everyone spluttered, including Lotor.

“Oh, come now,” she said hotly. “You couldn’t have had an ulterior motive for saving me before, therefore you are not beyond redemption.”

“Maybe I’m a masochist,” muttered Lotor.

Hearing him doubt the authenticity of her feelings, she grabbed a nearby cushion and whacked him over the head with it. “Anyway, regardless of whether you reciprocate my affections, I want you to know that you can trust me.”

“I know. I can trust you to be short-sighted, irrational, selfish, stupidly brave…”

That earned him another whack.

“Well, I’ve got to say, I never thought that cushions would be Lotor’s vulnerability…” Pidge said dryly.

“Don’t you think you’re moving a little too fast?” Lotor asked gently, no doubt echoing the rest of the team’s sentiment.

“Not really,” she replied, shrugging. “I’m more accepting of my own feelings, so I’m more aware of them. And you’ve lived the last ten thousand years and you _still_ haven’t figured yours out.”

Lotor pursed his lips, trapped. Some of the group started chuckling, but he wasn’t offended.

“Get him!” shouted Pidge.

Initially alert, he relaxed when he saw they were all dashing towards him with cushions. A faint smile appeared on his face as he resigned himself to being whacked by the team.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I wasn't actually sure where this fic would end up as I was writing it, but I hope the ending did indicate an internal shift in Lotor. :3


End file.
